Lubricator.



YPMBNTBD PEB. 1a, 190e.

No. 812,644A

M. H.. m EMM 90 /l/Hon ERNEST H. DOHSE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

LUBRICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed May 29, 1905. Serial No. 262,763.

To all whom, it Wha/y concer-7c:

Be it known that I, ERNEsT H. DoHsE,.a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New 4York, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

v This invention relates more particularly to the class oflubricators employed for oiling steam chests and cylinders and commonly known as chest-plugs.

One object of my invention is to provide such plugs with efl'icient means for preventing back pressure in the usual oil-feed pipe leading from the oil-reservoir to the chestplug, so as to insure a practically steady feed of the oil or tallow to the steam chest and cylinder or other part to be lubricated, it being my purpose to secure a practically constant vfeed of the lubricant whether the locomotive isrunning under pressure or is drifting or at rest.

A further object is the provision of a chestplug of this character which is compact and complete in itself, so that it can be readily applied to a part to be lubricated.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation o a lubricator embodying the invention and applied to a steamchest. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the chest-plug on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the check-valve case a't right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is'a horizontal section in line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar section in line 5 5, Fig. 2, looking upward.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

' throughout its length. The upper portion of A indicates thetop of a steam-chest, and A its casing. B is the chest-plug or lubricator, which is preferably screwed into an opening extending through said top and provided with a longitudinal oil-passage t, extending this passage is enlarged, as shown at o', and in the upper end of this enlargement a short tube O is screwed or otherwise secured. The bore of this tube, which may be termed a combining-tuba7 is preferably conical or tapered from its upper to its lower end, as shown in Fig. 2.

D indicates the feed pipe or conduit which leads from the oil-reservoir (not shown) to the upper end of the chest-plug B, the pipe being preferably flanged and secured tothe plug by a union d. The upper large end of the bore of the tube C is of about the same diameter as the bore of said feed-pipe. The oil or tallow in the reservoir and in the feedpipe D is under boiler-pressure in a manner common to lubricators of this class.

E is a valve case or cage depending from the combining-tube C and having a bore of about the same size as the small end of the bore of said tube. This case is provided in its wall, preferably at or near its upper end,

with lateral oil-supply ports or passages e, through which the oil flows from the combining-tube into the enlargement b', whence it descends through the main passage b of the chest-plug into the steam-chest or other part or chamber to be lubricated.

F is a check-valve arranged in the case E and adapted to close the supply-ports e whenever the pressure in the steam-chest exceeds that in the feed-pipe D, which occurs at the time of exhaust or when the piston of the cylinder completes its stroke and compression takes place. The valve is tted snugly in its case and provided at its lower end with a tailpiecef, preferably of T form, the ends of which are guided in vertical slots or recesses g, formed in the lower end of the case on diametrically opposite sides thereof. The valve is confined in the case by a removable cap h, screwed or otherwise secured to thelower end of the. case. This cap is provided in its bottom with a port or passage h', through which the steam-pressure in the chest acts against the tailpiece or lower end of the check-valve.

The operation of the device is as follows: The pressure in the steainchest increases during the time of exhaust or as the piston completes its stroke, and the pressure diminishes during the admission of steam to the cylinder. When the pressure in the steamchest increases above the boiler-pressure in the oil -feed pipe D, the check valve E is forced upward sufliciently to close the oilsupply ports e of the valve-case, preventing the back pressure from entering the oil-pipe and forcing the oil back toward the oil-reservoir. When the steam-pressure decreases in the chest, the check-valve is forced or permitted to assume its open or normal position, as shown in Fig. l, thereby opening the supply-ports e and permitting the boiler-pressure to promptly force the oil and water of condensation in the feed-pipe through the chestplug into the steam-chest.

The enlargement at the lower end of the valve formed by the tailpiecef increases the IOO IlO

area of the portion of the check-valve which is exposed to the steam-chest pressure. The slightest back action of the pressure in the steam-chest therefore forces the check-valve upward and closes the same, rendering the valve very sensitive and effectually preventing all back pressure in the oil-pipe. The valve opens toward the steam-chest or other part to be lubricated and is incapable of closing in that direction. By this construction and arrangement when the pressure is shut off from the chest by the closing of the throttle the boiler-pressure in the oil-pipe D keeps the check-valve open, thereby lubricating the chest when the locomotive is drifting or at rest as well as when the same is running under pressure. y

In practice in order to obtain the best results the feed-pipe D should have no constrictions or so called chokes, the only constriction, if any, being located at the lower end of the tapering bore of the combining-tube C, as shown, so that said pipe or conduit is of full size and boiler-pressure is always present in the same. The purpose of this combining-tube is to collect the oil and water of condensation in as small a space as possible and at the most sensitive point of operation of the device.

In addition to that already mentioned the improvement has the further advantage that in the event of the main oil-reservoir becoming inoperative very little inconvenience is experienced in oiling the steam chest and cylinder through auxiliary feed-cups, such as are commonly employed in locomotive engines. In such a case there is no pressure against the upper end of the check-valve g but the steam-chest pressure continues to be exerted against its lower end, keeping it closed and preventing the oil from being forced back in the pipe D. Oil is therefore allowed to accumulate in the combining-tube, and at an opportune time a short shut od of the engine can be made to allow such collected oil to flow into the steam-chest, such shut off removing the pressure against the bottom of the valve and allowing 1t to open by gravity. Another advantage of the device is that vin starting the engine the water of condensation which might otherwise be forced upward into the feed-pipe D is confined in the steam-chest and the portion of the chest-plug below the check-valve, as any back pressure in the steam chest closes the check valve and promptly cuts off all communication between the chestand the feed-pipe and reservoir, as hereinbefore described. A further advantage of the improvement is that the checkvalve is located in the body of the chest-plug, and the device is therefore compact and complete in itself, enabling it to be readily applied to a steam-chest or other part to be lubricated.

I claim as my nventon-`v Y 1. In a lubricating device', the` combination of a plug having Van oil-passage adapted to be connected at one end with a steamchest and at its other end with an oil-supply pipe which is under boiler-pressure, and a check-valve in said passage arranged to open toward the steam-chest and incapable of closing in that direction, whereby oil is permitted to flow into the chest when the pressure is' cut off from the same, said valve being constructed to completely cut off communication between said passage and the oil-supply pipe, when closed, substantially as set forth.

2. In a lubricating device, the combination of a plug having an oil-passage adapted to be connected at one end with a steamchest and at its other end with an oil-supply pipe which is under boiler-pressure, a valvecase arranged in said passage and having a lateral port connecting the passage with the oil-pipe and a bottom port communicating with said passage, and a check-valve in said case arranged to close said lateral port under the back pressure in the steam-chest, said valve being incapable of closing toward the steam-chest and constructed to positively prevent the passage of steam from the chest to said supply-pipe, when closed, substantially as set forth.

3. In a lubricating device, the combination of a plug having an oil-passage adapted to be connected at one end with a steamchest and at its other end with an oil-supply pipe which is under boiler-pressure, a valvecase arranged in said passage and having a lateral port connecting the passage with the oil-pipe and lateral guide-slots, and a checkvalve in said case controlling said port and having a tailpiece which engages said slots and is exposed to the pressure in said passage, the valve being incapable of closing toward the chest and constructed to completely cut off communication between the chest and Ehe plil-pipe, when closed, substantially as set ort 4. A device of the character described, comprising a plug having an oilpassage adapted to be connected with an oil-supply conduit, a tube arranged in said passage, and a check-valve applied to the lower end of said tube and arranged to close toward the same, said valve being constructed to completely cut off communication between the lubricated part and said supply-conduit, when closed, substantially as set forth.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a plug having an oilpassage adapted to be connected with an oilsupply conduit, a combining-tube arranged in said passage and having a downwardlytapering bore, and a check-valve applied to the lower end of said. combining-tube and arranged to close toward the same, said valve being con- IOO IIO

structed to completely cut off communication between the lubricated part and said supply-conduit'7 when closed, substantially as set forth.

6. A device of the.character described, comprising a plug having an oil-passage adapted to be connected with an oil-supply conduit, a combining-tube arranged in an enlargement of said passage and having a downwardly-tapering bore, a valve-case depending from said tube and provided adjacent thereto with a lateral port or ports connecting said tube with said passage, and a check-valve arranged in said case and con- A trolling said ports and having its lower end exposed to the steam-pressure in said passage, said valve being constructed to completely cut off communication between the lubricated part and said supply-conduit, when closed7 substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 27th day of May,

ERNEST H. DOHSE.

Witnesses:

C. F. -GEYER, E. M. GRAHAM. 

